There’s three things that you can do make sure you’ve got a great motion: identify a problem, identify a solution, present some evidence for it.

Alison Johnstone’s Bag Tax motion does those things admirably and topically. It identifies why plastic bags are a problem and how big that problem is – we use 590m a year in Scotland, they use up resources to produce, are used for a short time and are a danger when discarded. It identifies a solution – a plastic bag charge which has recently come into force in Wales, showing that this is a feasible thing that Holyrood can do. It also presents evidence for that solution – a huge reduction in usage in Ireland since a charge was introduced. So a (recycled from Christmas) Better Nation gold star!

Motion S4M-00992 – Alison Johnstone ( Lothian ) ( Scottish Green Party ) : Time is Right for a Bag Charge in Scotland

That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the Welsh Assembly Government to introduce a levy on single-use bags; considers that the 5p charge in Wales, to be introduced from 1 October 2011, will encourage a reduction in excessive use of plastic bags; congratulates Wales for being the first UK nation to introduce such a charge; notes that, in Ireland, where a charge for bags was introduced nine years ago, the government has reported that the number of bags used annually has fallen from 328 per person to 26; welcomes the news that some large retailers in Wales will be donating the money from the levy to charities; notes that, in 2009, the number of plastic bags handed to customers by supermarkets in Scotland almost halved in the three years following stores signing up to a voluntary government-organised scheme but that, since then, there has been a reported rise in the prevalence of use and that, in 2010, 590 million bags were used in Scotland; regrets that this is equivalent to 9.4 bags per person per month and considers that more must be done to reduce what it sees as disappointing figures; understands that bags are often used for only around 20 minutes, can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, can litter the landscape and threaten marine and bird life; further understands that their production and use can deplete natural resources and pollute the environment; agrees with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment that “plastic bags are a scourge on our environment and a blight on our streets, our countryside and our seas”; welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Government that, in autumn 2011, it will begin a public consultation on options to reduce plastic bag use, and calls on the Scottish Government to take inspiration from the Welsh decision in order to make real progress towards a zero-waste society.

Supported by: David Torrance, Roderick Campbell, Christine Grahame, Kenneth Gibson, Fiona McLeod, John Finnie

Of course, if you want to make sure you’ve got a rubbish motion why not say how much you enjoyed the ballet, dahlink?

Motion S4M-01005 – Clare Adamson ( Central Scotland ) ( Scottish National Party ) : Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Performance Opening Success

That the Parliament congratulates Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow on what is considered the triumphant opening of its autumn performance on 29 September 2011, featuring a double bill of Jorma Elo’s Kings 2 Ends, combining complex choreography set to the music of Mozart and Steve Reich, coupled with Ashley Page’s Pennies from Heaven, inspired by uplifting cinema and music from the 1930s; considers that this was a very accomplished piece of work, which also featured in Edinburgh’s International Festival; notes that the tour will also be heading to the United States, with performances in California and Minnesota, and would like to wish Scottish Ballet continued success for what it considers its excellent performance throughout the autumn season.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Patricia Ferguson, Jim Eadie, Colin Beattie, David Torrance, Roderick Campbell, Maureen Watt, Joe FitzPatrick, Gil Paterson, Kenneth Gibson, Derek Mackay, Hugh Henry, Chic Brodie, Paul Wheelhouse, Jean Urquhart, Jamie McGrigor, Mike MacKenzie, Humza Yousaf, Drew Smith, Annabelle Ewing, Mark McDonald